Specific examples of sample collection implements are described in Patent Documents 1 to 3. The sample collection implements described in these documents are all feces collection implements and include a container accommodating a liquid for suspending the feces, a feces collection stick, and a filter. The feces collection stick can be inserted into the container, and the feces collected by the feces collection stick are caused to diffuse into the liquid by this insertion operation. The filter serves to filter the liquid into which the feces have diffused (feces suspension) and remove the solid component of the feces present in the liquid. The liquid filtered by the filter is sucked in, for example, by a suction nozzle of an automatic analyzer and supplied for analysis.
As an example of a means for filtering the liquid by using the filter, Patent Document 1 describes bringing the suction nozzle of the automatic analyzer into contact with the filter and pushing the filter into the container by using the suction nozzle. In the configuration described in Patent Document 2, the filter is held in a cylindrical member and the cylindrical member is slidably fitted into the container. Where the cylindrical member is caused to slide and the filter is pushed into the container, the liquid passes through the filter. In the configuration described in Patent Document 3, a centrifugal apparatus is used as a means for filtering the liquid. Where a sample collection implement is set into the centrifugal apparatus and rotated at a high speed, the liquid is caused by the centrifugal force to pass through the filter.
However, the following drawbacks are associated with the above-described conventional technology.
Thus, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when the filter is pushed into the container by using the suction nozzle of the automatic analyzer, the suction nozzle comes into direct contact with the filter. In this case, the filter can be damaged by contact with the suction nozzle, thereby making it impossible to push the filter adequately into the container. Even if the filter has been pushed into the container, since a damaged portion has appeared in the filter, the liquid (feces suspension) can pass directly through the damaged portion and the liquid cannot be filtered adequately. For this reason, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a material that has a high mechanical strength and cannot be easily damaged should be used as the filter and a filter with a low strength cannot be used.
In the configuration described in Patent Document 2, the cylindrical member holding the filter is fitted externally and slidably on the container. The cylindrical member is accordingly of a comparatively large size. Therefore, there is space for improvement in terms of reducing the size of the entire sample collection implement.
In the configuration described in Patent Document 3, when the liquid (feces suspension) is filtered, a centrifugal apparatus should be used. Therefore, a centrifugal apparatus should be prepared for the analysis, thereby placing a significant burden on the party involved.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-114654
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3718017
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-170979